Macbeth: A Novel

By: A. J. Hartley, David Hewson

Narrated by: Alan Cumming

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Macbeth: A Novel brings the intricacy and grit of the historical thriller to Shakespeare’s tale of political intrigue, treachery, and murder. In this full-length novel written exclusively for audio, authors A. J. Hartley and David Hewson rethink literature’s most infamous married couple, grounding them in a medieval Scotland whose military and political upheavals are as stark and dramatic as the landscape on which they are played.

Macbeth is a war hero and a patriot, doing everything in his power to hold together Duncan’s crumbling kingdom, which is beset by sedition from within and with threats from overseas. But when Duncan, contrary to ancient Scottish tradition, turns to building a family dynasty instead of rewarding those who have borne the brunt of the fighting, Macbeth and his powerful wife, Skena, make plans of their own, plans designed to hold both the nation and their strained relationship together. Sinister figures who claim supernatural knowledge spur them on, but the terrible outcome is as much about accident and failure as it is malevolence. Soon Macbeth and his wife find themselves preeminent in all the land, but struggling to hold themselves and their country together as former friends turn into bitter and deadly enemies.

This is Macbeth as you have not heard it before: fresh, edgy, and vital. It is a story of valor in battle, whispering in shadows, witchcraft in the hollows of an ancient landscape, and the desperate struggle of flawed people to do what they think is right.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

A. J. Hartley, a professor of Shakespeare at the Univ. of North Carolina-Charlotte, is the author of the “Will Hawthorne” fantasy series as well as several thrillers.
David Hewson is the best-selling author of 16 novels, including the Rome-based “Nic Costa” crime series.

ABOUT THE NARRATOR

Alan Cumming stars in CBS's The Good Wife, for which he received an Emmy nomination, and is the host of PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery. He was honored with the 2011 Audie Award for Best Male Narrator.

The Irish folk song “She Moved Through the Fair” is performed by Heather O'Neil of the Irish Repertory Theater.

©2011 A.J. Hartley, David Hewson (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Not only is the novel an amplification of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, but it also fills in many of the gaps and gives a new perspective on Macbeth….Alan Cumming reads in a luscious Scottish brogue, which adds authenticity to the narration. His subtle changes of voice for different characters provide a full cast for this story of ambition and hubris. This is a wonderful novel of the human condition, read with ardor and enthusiasm.” ( AudioFile)

Completely wonderful

I burned right through this book such an adventure also I’m now mad about the authors last week I really enjoyed their Hamlet so must have more of their content

My first Shakespeare (but not my last)

I came to this novel differently than many people probably have - I have never read or watched Shakespeare's plays. I have only the slightest general cultural knowledge of things like MacBeth and Romeo & Juliet, etc. My hope was that this novel would lead me to take on Shakespeare - and it has! The book was dark, of course, and a tragedy (I think even I knew that much) but it also led me through the path of MacBeth and Lady MacBeth from idealistic youth to their tortured endings in an understandable way. The narrator was AMAZING as others have stated, and really made each character come to life for me! I look forward to reading the actual play MacBeth (probably the Spark Notes "no fear Shakespeare version, I'm a wimp) to see the differences and similarities. So really, any novel that leads a regular working-class person to want to read Shakespeare has to be a good one, right?

Great concept almost perfectly delivered

The concept is great. Take a story that we already know in outline that has withstood the test of time and 'fill in the blanks' where the playwright didn't have the luxury of providing the backstory to his audience. The authors remain faithful to everything in Shakespeare's play while exploring possible reasons for the behavior of the characters. The narration is outstanding -- even masterful. However I felt a bit disappointed that the authors felt the need to make the story a bit too modern by using the f-word as if we need to be assured that we are getting the raw, unvarnished truth about the dispicable Duncan. I realize that critics may counter that Shakespeare was blunt and bawdy in some of his scenes and I accept that. Maybe it's just my sense that a dramatic story can be told without the need of resorting to such devices. Let's have more of these 'made for audio' stories like this, but don't mar the work by thinking that it has to mimic the contemporary style in such aspects.

Well, that was terrific!

Thoroughly engaging, beautifully narrated, fresh take on the Macbeths. I recommend it highly! Now I'm going to listen to the play . . .

WHAT A GREAT LISTEN!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Macbeth: A Novel to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print, but the narrator is what brought this story home for me. Great choice!!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the way the story was laid out, is timeline and how it tied everything together. The authors set out to show you a different side of the Macbeth story and actually make you want to reach into the story to tell Macbeth to just stop!!! Stop making these terrible decision and be a great King!! When you feel that way, you know the book is good!

Surprisingly Good!

I enjoyed listening to this novelization of Shakespeare's Macbeth far more than I had expected. I was concerned about modern authors taking my favorite of The Bard’s plays and putting it into a completely different format. For the first hour I remained unconvinced that this had been a good idea. It took me that long to become immersed in 11th century Scotland where this story is set. From that point on I was swept along with the characters through the familiar events of the play, but seeing all of it from a completely new perspective.

It was a brutal, unforgiving landscape with bleak, lonely castles, cold winds, rain and sleet; it was peopled by semi-civilized men from all stations in medieval Scottish society. It is against this backdrop and within this culture that a basically decent man and his wife find themselves tempted to face and confront the basest aspects their nature. When they urge each other to submit to sinister ambition and justify the murder of their king, they bring about utter ruin for themselves as individuals and for their previously deep and committed relationship. By losing their integrity, they forfeit everything that has given their lives and their marriage meaning.

The novel form of this story did more than fill in details not found in the play. It allowed the authors to fully develop characters not only of Macbeth and his wife but of many other players as well. The witches were fleshed out and appeared prominently throughout the story as malevolent, unearthly reflections of Macbeth, Skena, and those around them. One of the important points of the play and this novel is that we are what we do; the choices we make define us. The witches merely reflect back to the characters what is already inside of them, causing them to become self-aware. They never actually force anyone to act on this knowledge.

I almost gave this audiobook five stars instead of four Overall. The narration was superb, and the story itself totally captivated me after the initial hour. However, unlike the play, this novel was less than subtle in pointing out its important themes. At times I felt distracted as the authors interrupted the flow of their narrative in order to bludgeon me with its “deeper meaning,” as we described it in high school. I want important messages to become clear as the story moves along, but I should at least have to pay attention to notice them.

However, I’m so glad I purchased this audiobook from audible, and I recommend it to most readers, especially if you liked Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I also appreciated the comments given by A.J. Hartley at the beginning of the presentation and again after it ended. They provided historical and literary context which I found helpful.

A twist on Shakespear

Would you consider the audio edition of Macbeth: A Novel to be better than the print version?

All audio is better than print, you can live the story

Who was your favorite character and why?

Macbeth, he knows right from wrong but is incited to do evil

Listen to this book!!!

AMAZING performance!!! What a thrilling book to listen to! Far better than the play!

A gritty retelling of a classic, without the pain

When I was in school, I always hated Shakespeare. His distinct style of writing was at times hard to understand and frustrating. However it wasn't until ninth grade that our class studied Macbeth and, although the painful writing style was still there, the story drew me in.

Without even knowing it, "Macbeth: A Novel" is exactly what I have always wanted to read: Shakespeare's grisly story of ambition, murder and betrayal presented (albeit with some minor changes) almost entirely intact and without that painful poetic style everyone knows so well. The major characters are all present and fully fleshed out. New details have been added to the story, taken from real historic texts. While one may feel that such additions would detract from the original work, they do the opposite, adding more depth and character to the story and adding a rich authenticity to the setting.

Alan Cumming's narration is superb, bringing to life every character, both major and minor. At first I couldn't quite understand why he chose to speak in a Scottish accent even when characters aren't speaking, but after a while you forget about that and are fully drawn in by his authentic-sounding voice.

If you have never wanted to get into Shakespeare's works or found it hard to follow the original Scottish Play, you owe it to yourself to listen to this book. It would be a mistake not to.

Was I surprised!

Would you listen to Macbeth: A Novel again? Why?

Yes, it was more than I expected and I know I missed some activity. I already have relistened to different segments and had missed crucial items in the first listening.
I had to read Macbeth in English Lit & just didn't get the poetry and the rhythm. this was much more enjoyable!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Macbeth: A Novel?

when the young orphan died drinking the wine Lady Macbeth made for the guards, and when Macbeth tries to justify their actions for the murder and of course

Have you listened to any of the narrators???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I'll be looking for more! I love when the narrator takes on the accent & culture of the main character, it adds so much to the reading & meaning of the book!